Mass Effect 3: Indoctrination
by Doodley
Summary: In the aftermath of Mass Effect 3, things are not what they seemed.
1. Prologue

Prologue

In this Galaxy, in this Universe there are things far older, wiser, and fearsome than the Reapers. In their quest against organic life, the Reapers forgot their own vulnerabilities.

The crucible was the product of memetic intelligence, the crowning achievement of an idea seeded into sentient minds over a million years ago. An idea brought the Reapers down.

In the space between spaces, in the spaces beyond the reach of Mass Relays, Mass Effect drives, and Reapers there are things that things, things that plot, things that remember, things that didn't so easily forget.

The Reapers became slaves to their programming, limited by their architecture, limited by their way of life. They became creatures of instinct, creatures of habit. They culled the galaxy, feeding upon and assimilating primitive creatures who kept on falling for the same traps developed a million years ago. The Reapers got more diverse but stopped evolving, for they absorbed creatures who never progressed beyond a certain stage of technological or scientific development. If these creatures would have been allowed to go beyond the prescribed limits of those that preyed on them, the Reapers would fear their own demise at the hands of their game.

In the end, the Reapers were effectively destroyed by disembodied ideas and echos of a distant time. All they had become was undone and their bodies found a new master, an ear that had the sense to listen to stories from distant stars, to heed the warnings of a star gazer.

Thirty years after man found he was not alone, just as it integrated into the galactic community, it stood on the verge of destruction. Two human men waged war for the future for the galaxy. An evil trick would be played on the champion of the sentient creatures and a villain would win control of the rampaging plague that would swallow them all.

"I found one, I think he's still alive," yelled the corporal at the top of his lungs.

London was in flames. A somewhat charred body lay unconscious amidst rubble and corpses. A concentrated beam of energy had disintegrated a marine, detonated the Hydra missile launcher he was carrying while superheating the air around him and turning concrete into plasma.

Caught in the resulting explosion was Commander Shepard. His shields managed to absorb much of explosion but they eventually failed and the commander was launched dozens of meters away with much of his armor destroyed. Luckily, the armor had prevented an instantaneous death.

If Shepard would have woken up, his enhancements would have allowed him to stand and even fight... for a while. His reinforced skeleton had held up to the blunt trauma of being hurled into the air and landing on hard concrete and metal. His innards were another story. He was skewered through the abdomen by rebar and organs had been ruptured as numerous lacerations to his skin and muscles streamed red with blood. Besides, he was pinned under a tank and would have been unable to bench press it off of himself.

"Commander Shepard...Commander Shepard, we need you awake," yelled a medic who was excited to see a survivor.

The rescue team frantically worked to save Shepard's life. Engineers had lifted the tank off of Shepard with aid of a maintenance mech.

James Vega and Garrus Vakarian were with Shepard during the charge on the elevator but were delayed by an earlier explosion and separated from the Commander. They had walked out unscathed but were forced to retreat into a nearby sewer after the particle beam that had taken down Shepard was swept in their direction by the enormous Reaper guarding the elevator.

They were on the scene looking for survivors and had informed the Normandy's crew and the rest of Shepard's ground team of his survival and status.

"What's going on?.. the catalyst... the catalyst..." mumbled Shepard. "The Reapers...Illusive Man... Anderson."

His heartbeat was irregular and he was showing anomalous brain activity.

"Liara...Synthesis no... EDI..no. Must ...only way. Go away."

"Something's wrong. He should be stable. Commander Shepard... wake up! Wake up," the riled medic complained. "Look at that... are those nanites? What the hell? They didn't show up on the scanner. Hold up... they're rupturing out of his skin."

"Major Coats, get Shepard's people over here. They've got to see this," yelled Specialist Gaul into his omni-tool.

"Commander Shepard is stable for now but we dare not move him. We have removed his armor, put him in a mass effect field, braced him in a body mold, and he's covered in a layer of medigel but right before we were about to move, just moments ago... Well, it's better that I show you."

Specialist Gaul played the vid for Coats, Garrus, and Vega.

"Are those Reaper cells," asked Coats. "Was he injected by a Reaper drone?"

"It's highly unlikely as the explosion Shepard was caught in took out much of the Reaper forces in the vicinity. Our troops pulled back shortly after and the Reapers as well. Shepard's life signs would have been too weak to catch the attention of retreating Reaper forces," explained Vega.

"Cerberus," exclaimed Garrus. "Looks like the Illusive Man used his trump card."

"I don't understand," interject Coats. "You're telling me Cerberus did this?"

Garrus replied, "It isn't common knowledge but Commander Shepard was brought back to life by Cerberus and rebuilt at the cellular level. They could have put whatever they wanted into him whenever they wanted. Contrary to constant reassurances that the Illusive Man had not implanted a control mechanism within Shepard, we always suspected he would have left himself a way to influence Shepard in the future. Although this isn't a control chip, it still did its job. No matter... Shepard needs to get to a medical facility and we need to look for the Reapers."

"As you can see much of this city is destroyed and much of Western Europe is in a shambles, as is the rest of Earth. Our best bet is one of the medical ships in orbit," informed Major Coats.

Shepard opened his eyes, the sight of stars above him soothed him. "Liara," he called out right before he passed out completely.

Shepard was stabilized and evacuated from the area. He would not awaken for a while.

- In the Hospital -

Four weeks had passed since London.

Shepard had mentioned Liara's name and then passed out. He lay unconscious since that moment. It was as if his mind had accepted death but his body lived on.

During a vivid dream he had met a stellar spirit and destroyed the Reapers. He had saved the galaxy. There was nothing left for him to do.

But reality was a different story.

The Reapers abruptly left. Many of their drones dropped dead, the rest returned to the Reapers before they all took off for parts unknown.

During Shepard's state of dormancy, his friends and comrades constantly checked on him inside the medical platform Panacea, a hollowed out asteroid towed into Earth orbit to treat casualties. Liara kept vigil day in and out while lending a hand to the staff. She had been tempted to meld her mind with his but thought it too risky to attempt. She instead, waited and hoped for Shepard to awaken.

Anderson was in the Sol system organizing reconstruction. Anderson's Mako had been taken out moments prior to the charge on the elevator. Before he could pull everyone out of the wreckage, the invasion was over. He had been doing his best to re-establish civilization during the past month but made time to visit Shepard occasionally.

Admiral Hackett had given Garrus command of the Normandy during Shepard's absence and the entire crew minus Liara was on the search for the Reapers. They had left two weeks ago and sent reports every 24 hours.

Right as the fourth week was ending, a man walked into Shepard's room. Liara had gone to rest. Shepard's quarters weren't even guarded. The man wore a hat and a vintage suit. Even though there was a sign that prohibited smoking, he lit a cigarette.

"Shepard... I know you can hear me."

As if a combination to a lock had just been punched into his mind, Shepard awoke. The man had injected him with a hyposyringe.

"It's been too long, son. You won't be able to move for a few minutes. You are familiar with this, aren't you? We're the only ones who have it," the man pointed to the hyposyringe. "The first time you were given this, it was used to wake you up from the reanimation process. It jumps starts your nervous system. It's gonna hurt like hell in a while, so I'll be brief."

Shepard was confused but he immediately recognized that voice. He locked on the artificially blue eyes and stared into them deeply with rage.

"I couldn't let everything up to chance or that you would come around. We won Shepard. I won."

"How the hell are you alive? Anderson..." mumbled Shepard as he squinted under the lights overhead.

"Oh that, let's just say I got to know you better," chuckled The Illusive Man. "I swore I didn't put a control chip in you but I don't remember denying that I put something else in instead. I left a part of my memories in you, to help you see the galaxy as I did. The memory implant was also an insurance policy in case the Reapers tried to indoctrinate you or you managed to reach the Catalyst before me. It kicked in just as you were knocked unconscious by the Reaper beam and they attempted to convert you. Your hallucination overwhelmed them. It stalled their intrusion countermeasures and it allowed me to cement my control over them. I indoctrinated them as they tried to indoctrinate you."

"You used me, again..." growled Shepard.

"Calm down. We won. Humanity won. I now control the largest fleet in space. I will rid this galaxy of corruption. I will bring order to the galaxy and humanity will reign supreme."

Shepard clenched his fist, strength was returning to his limbs.

"Whoa... looks like I don't have much time left," said the Illusive Man. "Ah...you didn't really think the little blue kid was real... right? I've come here to give you another chance. Every king needs an heir. . . You didn't really think I resurrected a complete stranger? I've always had something invested in you. You are my biological son. I've been keeping tabs on you since you were born. I couldn't let you die, that would have been my greatest failure. You also brought out the best in me. I pushed human science to the limit and cheated death itself to bring you back. I've conquered techno-organic demigods competing against you. Now that we've won, it's time for us to work together... to bring about an age the galaxy has never known. "

"No good will come of this. You need to destroy what remains of the Reapers. Let people decide the path our galaxy should take. It's not up to us to impose it."

"Think it over. You'll know where to find me very soon. You've been through a lot and the drugs are overwhelming your system. I'll be on my way, son."

Feeling returned to Shepard's legs and waist. He began to sit up as the Illusive Man walked out of the door. He rolled out of bed as to give to pursuit but could not. Shepard crawled into the corridor but found it empty. The Illusive Man was gone. Shepard liked the feeling of the cool metal floor and slumped face down on it... waiting for someone to come by. Shepard had been unconscious for weeks and the last time he was awake... he had undergone great trauma...believing he had perished in the fight against the Reapers along with Anderson... both making the ultimate sacrifice.

Shepard had awoken to discover he had been duped and played. He was no hero, no savior. The Illusive Man had won and the galaxy faced a grim future under tyranny.

A nurse found Shepard lying on the floor and he was promptly moved back onto his bed. Liara and Anderson were informed of his emergence from the coma.

"You're awake. I'm glad you've escaped death once again. You had us worried," said a cheerful Anderson.

Shepard was confused at the sight of his old friend. The hallucination had been so real. "Anderson, I thought you had died. I don't know what to say. I can't make heads or tails of what's going on."

"It's okay, son. Liara told me what you told her... we suspected something had occurred in your mind. When you were recovered the medics reported you were under some sort of deep sleep, brainwaves were abnormal. You were in sort of hallucinatory state while under some sort of induced coma. Your body was pretty messed up as well. Your wounds and burns healed quickly but it took you some time to wake up."

"I didn't simply wake up. The Illusive Man woke me up. He walked right in here, under all of your noses... to rub his victory in my face, to prove his power."

"Calm down, Shepard. We'll find him."

"What then? He's tamed the Reapers. He's going to take the galaxy piece by piece if we don't find a way to stop him."

"We know... he's already started. The refugees are calling him a savior. He's claimed Batarian space as his own and many are flocking to his side."

"I need to get out of here. I need to get back to the Normandy. If we don't stop his plans for galactic domination... we're all doomed. The Reaper fleet is a menace until it is completely destroyed. "

"They're on their way. Garrus and the rest of the crew will be here in a few hours for Liara and you. Have you regained most of your strength yet?"

"All I need is the legs to stand up to him," proclaimed a defiant Shepard.


	2. Chapter 1

"The alliance is still in such disarray I can walk this rock with impunity," stated the Illusive Man in an indecipherable extinct human language, as he looked at the Reclusive Man.

An olive skinned man standing a couple of inches under six feet was reclined against the interior hull of the ship as the Illusive Man stepped inside. Garbed in white linen pants and a shirt, he stood barefoot. He carried medium brown hair and an untrimmed beard. His sorrowful brown eyes stared deeply at a seam in the bulkhead across from him. Annoyed and impatiently tapping his feet on the floor, he was not hiding his displeasure.

"I don't care much for games. Did you fix your brat," asked the Reclusive Man in the same mysterious tongue. "You took a huge risk coming here and handling things, personally. I'm checking in on you. "

"I had to speak to him face to face. I think I can finally turn him to our side," replied a hopeful Illusive Man.

"Victory is making you soft. We're not done yet, remember? Deceptive and the Stargazer are almost ready. We're far from done, you could put us all at risk. Don't underestimate them," chastised Reclusive.

"That's my problem and Hackett can't tell his hands from his feet. He has his fleets chasing after the Reapers instead of securing Citadel space. He can't even keep this asteroid secure. Steven is unknowingly making our job easier," explained the Illusive Man.

Reclusive nodded, "Indeed." Reclusive Man's hologram dissipated and an self destructing projection orb fell to the ground.

The Illusive Man was born Jack Harper but that was never his real name. He was the scion of a family bound to secrets. As the Cult of Athame kept a secret for the Asari, so did The Illusive Man keep a secret for all mankind and the entire galaxy.

In Harper's days in the biotech industry, a colleague named Henry Lawson made tremendous breakthroughs in bioengineering. Harper challenged Lawson to create for him a perfect child, free from his inherited nearsightedness and other disorders he had inherited from his parents. Lawson was enthusiastic about showing off his genius and agreed.

An egg was donated by Jack Harper's fiance at the time. She had tested positive for a Robertsonian translocation while in the womb and had known she was infertile since she could remember. Harper's fiance was so excited she also volunteered to carry the child herself, a boy born with cleaned DNA.

Harper's joy would not last. Harper was not born to have a life free of tragedy for his secrets would force him to a life of war, despair, misery, and glory.

Humanity was undergoing radical changes in a blink of an eye and this made the times tumultuous and violent. The discovery of Mass Effect physics had upset the power balance. Man had discovered a way to travel to neighboring star systems faster than it could travel across Earth using conventional means of propulsion. Soon after the Charon relay was discovered and activated. Man could travel millions of light years in an instant. The vast amount of power being acquired was overwhelming everyone. For many, it was too much too handle so quickly.

Internal conflicts plagued the nascent Systems Alliance over who would control this new found power. The factions that comprised the System Alliance were still fighting old wars they had on Earth and each faction wanted to be the one that led the human race.

Jack was involved in above top secret activities for the United States government. He had been brought into the service of his country by his own father Samuel Harper. Samuel oversaw a network of underground facilities that dealt with phenomena that the human public was told did not or could not exist.

Harper had enough of playing point man for his father and left for tManswell Biodynamics, a company he had built a relationship with while working for the government. The internal conflicts of the Systems Alliance would not be his problem.

On a warm May morning in 2154, six weeks after the child was born, Jack was driving his wife to a postpartum exam and left his son in the care of his father had come to visit.

On the highway, a small missile slammed into the front of his vehicle. The vehicles armor and reactive countermeasures reduced the damage of the explosion to the passenger compartment but the vehicle was hurled into the air and tumbled as it was hit by passing vehicles that did not have enough time to stop or avoid the rolling automobile.

A large van pulled up next to the wreckage. Four men exited a large van and approached the smoldering remains of the automobile. Harper's wife crawled out through the rear window, her right hand severed and with a shard of metal lodged in her neck. A man with long blond hair and dark shades aimed his silenced submachine at her head and fired a single round which pierced her skull and made her drop lifeless on the paved road.

Harper regained consciousness as his wife crawled out the rear window. She had disconnected his seat belt and it seemed as if she had tried to pull him out with her. He told her to get help as he gasped for air and then saw in horror as one of the assassins took her life.

Rage replaced the blood he was loosing. He drew one the concealed pistols he had hidden in his car and bashed the drivers side door open with his broken left arm, grunting in pain.

Police detectives Michael Parasini and his partner Betty Bailey had been driving back from a case when traffic stopped. Bailey called the precinct and was informed there was an accident with many casualties up ahead. Parasini saw smoke in the distance. They abandoned their car and raced towards the scene.

The sound of the door being forced open, prompted the assassins to scatter and attempt to surround the vehicle. Harper crawled out, using the armored door as cover. He caught one of the assassins dashing to the right, in the direction of a heavily damage vehicle that had collided with his car.

Jack was a pistol marksman. The cold metal of the weapon was one with his hand, arm, and body. Where he pointed the muzzle, the round would always hit true. As he squeezed the trigger, his eye locked on the dashing assassin and moment later a red rimmed hole appeared on his forehead.

The killing felt natural just like it would feel for his son, the future Commander Shepard.

The assassins were not informed of the extent of their mark's training or abilities. They thought the job was going to be quick and now they were forced into a siege. A gun battle erupted as Parasini and Bailey approached the site.

"Get down," yelled Bailey to Parasini and the people in their cars."Everyone get down."

Harper was pinned but had moved himself to the front of the vehicle where he could defend his flanks from encroachment and use the entire wreckage as cover.

The assassins tried to move again and Harper took the opportunity to move to the damaged vehicle the first assassin, he had killed, was running towards. This put the van and the assassins to one side of him.

Jack picked off a second assassin peeking out of cover.

The Van's driver finally exited carrying heavier weapons for his comrades as they provided cover fire.

The shooters didn't bother talking to Harper. They knew he knew they were only after one thing and that there was nothing they could offer to make him surrender.

"Put your guns down," barked Bailey to Harper and his would-be assassins. "A gunship and SWAT team are on the way. Surrender immediately."

Bailey and Parasini were fired upon by the wet crew, leaving them no option but to fire back. Harper took advantage of the diversion and flanked his enemies.

Two to the back, one to the head.

Two to the back, one to the head.

He caught the third one turning around and pistol whipped him, breaking his jaw.

He grabbed his pistol like a hammer and began pummeling the blond man that had shot his wife. The police officers used their stun devices on Harper and the blond man from a distance.

Parasini tackled Harper to the ground and Bailey lunged at the blond assassin as both writhed in pain from the stun darts.

"You stupid cop, get off of me. They tried to kill me," yelled a infuriated Harper. "Damnit, he's going to kill himself."

The blond man broke Betty's nose and took her weapon. Parasini swept his arm toward blond man and shot him in the face as he shot himself in the temple and Betty shot him with her backup pistol.

"I could have made him talk," screamed Harper. "He executed my wife."

"Cuff him, we don't know who he is," advised Bailey. "Check his wallet and then his biometrics with your field tool."

"That's some nice piece you have there. Looks like some pretty fancy auto-pistol. Caseless ammo. Where did you get this," asked an inquisitive Parasini as he bound Harper. "This pistol is illegal."

"Check on my wife, she's over there. Damnit," demanded Harper.

"Hold on there, buddy. Bailey is on her way but first we have to make sure we're safe. EMTs are on their way. We have a lot of wounded. Surveillance drones are already here," informed Parasini. "It says here on your identification card that you are Jack Harper and you live down the highway, a few miles away from here. Your biometrics confirm your identity. Give me a second..."

Betty Bailey ran towards Parasini. "The VTOL is landing. I checked on the girl on the ground. Don't let him see her. Half her head is gone. I can't believe that one guy took out all those guys in his condition."

"The gun he's carrying is state of the art. Military grade personal defense weapon. Fifty round magazine of caseless, expanding flechette ammo." replied Parasini as Bailey raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Emergency and law enforcement personnel swarmed the scene. Harper stared at the EMTs as they looked at his wife and put a tarp over her, then moved to treat other casualties. She was dead and nothing he could do would bring her back. At the same time he could not express sorrow. No tears welled up, no butterflies in his stomach, no wailing.

Harper beckoned Parasini and Bailey over to him. "I lost my composure there but I need a favor. I promise you that anyone who does me a favor is always well compensated."

"We can't take bribes, buddy," replied Parasini.

"Honest cops, eh? It's not a bribe. I need you to take me home. My son could be in danger"

Parasini looked at his field tool. "There are no reports of any crime at your address, We called but no one is answering. Did you leave someone with your son?"

"Damnit, you have to take me now," demanded an annoyed Harper.

"You are detained. We need to take you in, get you cleaned up. We'll send an officer over there to check."

"Why don't you put me in your car and stop at my house on the way to the hospital. I am a Manswell Biodynamics executive. The company brings a good deal of revenue to the city and the county. I know a lot of people. I'm a very powerful man. I take care of my friends."

"Fine. fine. It's on our way. You have to wait in the car," answered Bailey as she exchanged glances with her partner.

Bailey and Parasini drove up to the Harper residence. Bailey looked over at Harper, "Stay in the car."

They used the intercom but no one would answer. Harper gave them permission to enter the house. They called for backup and entered the residence.

An elderly man lay dead on a couch stabbed in the neck and two dead men laid dead nearby. The old man had kill his two assassins with a knife in his neck and bullet wounds in his chest. Harper's son was alive, hidden away in the panic room.

"Hey, he's cute," smiled Bailey.

"I'm sorry Mr. Harper. Your father... he was already dead when we got here. It looks like he went down fighting. We checked the house and found your son in the panic room. He's fine. The Ambulance is on the way to check him out," said a grim Parasini. "Bailey and I have kids with our respective spouses. We have families. You have our condolences."

"I think I'll need another favor from you, two. For the life of my son, I'll need your help to make him disappear."

There was something intangible about Jack Harper that made people trust him, follow him, and sacrifice their lives for him. He could talk anyone into anything. People tended to see what they wanted in Jack Harper and maybe that is why he got his way. A fearless marching general with ruthless calculus or a sophisticated paragon of human virtues, those who did his bidding found reasons to believe in him and his goals.

Jaime Harper, Jack's son, would die from unknown complications along with his mother and grandfather . Jack Harper would bury his wife, son, and father.

Betty Bailey, Michael Parasini, and Jack Harper would be the only ones who would know he had survived. This was the first death Commander Shepard would suffer.

John Doe was put up for adoption at the Starry Sky Adoption Agency. Jack Harper mulled over three families with the same surnames that promised different but still promising futures.

A middle class Terran family would give his child an attachment to Earth and an education on human nature. The boy would learn to fend for himself and enjoy the planet Harper had been raised in.

A life among colonists would prepare his son for the changing future of humanity in space and would keep him safe during his childhood, away from trouble.

Hannah Shepard and her husband were in the Systems Alliance Corp of Engineers. They lived most of their lives in space and worked where there was usually no violence. A life as a spacer would give his son a bright future in the coming age.

Harper chose a life on Earth for his boy. Shepard had a loving home but the Earth was a fracturing world. The atmosphere of despair brought on by the instability of a changing economy and global culture had made many parts of the Earth violent. Shepard became an angry boy. Childhood friends were killed in gang violence or started moving away with their families for better opportunities in space. His parents were middle aged teachers when he was adopted. They decided it was better to stay on Earth and believed they were too old to move. Space was for far younger families.

The Illusive Man would secretly intervene in his child's life when required. The Shepards tried their best to steer their adoptive son in the right direction and he listened most of the time... occasionally getting into trouble with the law. Sadly, his parents passed away when he was sixteen in a horrible accident. He was emancipated, cleaned up his act, and finished school living on his own. He had gained admission to the brand new Systems Alliance Academy. At the age of 18 he sold his house and joined the Navy.

The Illusive Man had sacrificed a lot to get to where he was. A part of him always felt guilty about abandoning his son. He often regretted his choice, his decision didn't keep his son from colliding with his world of secrets. It didn't keep the Reapers from invading the galaxy, it didn't keep the Collectors from killing him. The Illusive Man knew he could never control everything but he did derive comfort from controlling the Reapers.

The Illusive Man picked up the remains of the projection orb and laughed. The Reclusive Man was always amusing to him.


	3. Chapter 2

"Where's Garrus and the Normandy," asked Shepard peevishly. "They should be here by now."

"Calm down. He probably has his reasons. The Normandy could have picked up a mayday signal," answered Liara.

"This sucks. If they answered one of those it could take them days to get back. Let's get out of here. I'm not even sure I want to head back out there, yet. I'm not even sure I want to return to the Alliance. I've had it," said an exasperated Shepard grinding his teeth.

Liara sat closer, "Shepard, the doctors said you should take it easy"

"Why the hell do you call me Shepard, all the time? We're engaged, damn it. Is this how girls in your species speak to their loved ones? Why can't you be like a human girl for once and stop being so formal every damn time I talk to you? No one's here, no one is listening. We're in private," chastised a frustrated Shepard.

"I've been here the last 4 weeks, waiting for you to wake up. I haven't left your side," replied an infuriated Liara with tears welling in her eyes. "You have no idea how much I've worried. After all I've done and sacrificed for you!"

"Sacrificed, eh? Maybe you just tried to make yourself feel better, taking care of a primitive alien. You haven't even asked me how the hell I even survived or what the hell happened down there," berated Shepard. "I've been awake for 15 hours after being dead for a month. I've sacrificed, too, for everyone. "

"You ungrateful moron," sobbed an angry Liara. "You ignorant, man. You know how much I care and this is how you treat me?."

"Idiot, eh? Yeah... I'm a damn idiot. I'm a failure. That's what I learned down there and up here. I've been used by everyone. I've been made a fool by own father, my entire life. I'm a nobody, a pawn. I was born down there with the rest of the other dead chumps. The human race puts a nice face to the rest of the galaxy with its ships, its quickly adapted technology... but that's is who we are down there... a bunch of losers. They believed in the wrong guy. The Illusive Man won despite fighting the Reapers and all of us.

Growing up, I never thought I'd be up in space. I'd never thought I'd become a Spectre, I didn't even know what one was.. Up here, just like the human race, I didn't present myself as I was down there.

I've betrayed allies. I've gotten people killed. I died knowing I killed the Geth and EDI. They thought of me as their friend. All for the greater good! I died think I'd given you a future, Liara. The Illusive Man and the Reapers broke me, they forced me to compromise, to submit.

I'm sorry, Liara. I'm not sure if I can face them again."

Liara, sobbing, embraced a frazzled Shepard, "We've all lost. I've lost too much. I'm not going to lose you, too. I don't care if you push me away."

Shepard wouldn't push her away. This is what he wanted, to matter to someone. As young man back on Earth, he never thought he come across, much less become engaged to such an impressive girl. Shepard gripped Liara tight against himself . "Liara, I should have never snapped at you. I'll make it up to you," said a penitent Shepard.

"Hey Zaeed, when should we interrupt them,"asked a giddy Jacqueline in the hallway."They might start humping in the lounge."

"Calm down princess, give them their space," reprimanded Zaeed. "Reminds me of me mum and dad. They'd get into a fight and then get lovey dovey. Only thing is that they'd scream for three hours and wake up the entire neighborhood ."

"Cool story, bro. It never occurred to me you were sentimental. I should have known by the way you treat your guns." mocked Jack.

Zaeed chuckled and replied,"That's funny, princess. You can be cute when you want to."

"It's the middle of the night, this place is boring. I'm just gonna peep on them, so be quiet," giggled Jack. "By the way, when is the Normandy getting here?"

Zaeed reminded,"You were eavesdropping, you should have heard it got delayed."

"You bastard, you were listening too," replied an impertinent Jack.


End file.
